The invention relates to a seaweed-based product for improving the quality of liquid waste, such as is found in municipal sewer systems, Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW), hog farm lagoons and the like, and to methods of making and using the product so as to reduce the odor and solids associated with the waste as well as reduce other undesirable characteristics.
Extremely large quantities of wastewater containing animal and/or human waste are treated daily, and as a consequence of such treatment byproducts in the form of solids or sludge and liquids also accrue in large quantities and must be disposed of. Improvements in treatment are needed for the purpose of reducing the solids, reducing the odor of what remains, reducing the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD); the Total Suspended Solids (TSS); reducing the ammonia, and reducing the phosphorous. Since wastewater treatment of any kind is typically done in conjunction with use of digesters and drying beds, the effect of the treatment may affect the amount of sludge handling required and thus the amount of sludge handling associated with a particular form of treatment becomes an important consideration. One object of the invention herein is thus to provide a method of treating liquid waste, which results in a decrease in the BOD, TSS, ammonia and phosphorus, while at the same time minimizing the amount of sludge removal.
Various United States Patents are related to ways of treating wastewater with plant materials. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,450 is directed to treating wastewater with microorganisms and roots of an aquatic plant. Since the product of the present invention makes use of seaweed as a component of a liquid waste treating product, reference is also made to Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,588, which describes use of seaweed as a component of an animal feed and water additive and to U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,930, which describes a plant stimulant product made from seaweed. It is a further object of this invention to provide a reproducible method of producing a seaweed-based product that can be used to treat liquid waste. Other objects will become apparent as the description proceeds.